Wei Shao

Film and Culture (1 August 2016)

22 July 2016
Outline the Evolution of Gay Rights in America. Where Do I Think These Rights Are
Headed? How Do The Rights of Homosexuals in America Related to Other Countries
Around the World?

According to Wikipedia, in the 17th century, by the influence of Christianity,

people saw homosexual activities as crimes. Sodomy and buggery were considered
capital offenses and cross-dressing was considered a felony punishable by imprisonment
or other forms of corporal punishment. Even though the status of same-sex sexual
relations as capital-worthy felonies was gradually reduced by the states to imprisonment
at maximum, the LGBT persons were still commonly called perverts.
In 1924, the first documented public homosexual organization in America named
Society for Human Rights by Henry Gerber was established. Gerber published two issues
of the first gay publication, entitled Friendship and Freedom. The organization was
quickly suppressed within months of its establishment, but during the 1920s, LGBT
persons were employed as entertainers or entertainment assistants for various urban
venues in cities such as New York City. According to LGBT Rights Timeline, in 1928, a
lesbian novel, The Well of Loneliness was published. As a result, homosexuality became a
topic of public conversation.
In 1948, Sexual Behavior in the Human Male was published. Alfred Kinsey, a
biologist, the author of the book, reported that 37% of men he interviewed had
participated in homosexual behavior at least once. Based on his research, Kinsey
proposes that sexual orientation lies on a continuum from exclusively homosexuality to
exclusively heterosexuality. Kinsey also wrote Sexual Behavior in the Human Female. It
was based on personal interviews of 6,000 women. According to Wikipedia, these
publications were immediately controversial among the general public. The findings

caused shock and outrage, because they challenged the beliefs of sexuality and they
discussed subjects that had previously been taboo.
In 1950, activist Harry Hay founded the Mattachine Society, one of the earliest
homophile or homosexual organizations, to advocate for homosexual rights and to reduce
the feelings of isolation that many gays and lesbians were experiencing. However,
according to History of the Gay Rights Movement in the United States, Pitas says: It
was not until the 1960s that the movement began to make any real progress. In 1962
Illinois became the first state to decriminalize homosexual acts between two consenting
adults in private. In 1970 the first gay pride marches were held in multiple cities. In 1973,
American Psychiatric Society removed homosexuality from its official list of mental
disorders. At this time, many LGBT decided to speak openly and proudly about their
sexual orientation.
In the 1980s, AIDS came around gay male population made the movement slowed
down. In 1993, the US military instituted the Dont ask, dont tell policy, allowing gay
people to serve in the military and in 2000, the state of Vermont became the first to
permit civil Unions between same-sex couples but refused to call it as marriage. Then
later, many other states legalized same-sex marriage. In 2015, the Supreme Court finally
legalized same-sex marriage nationwide.
LGBT persons can be married now under the 14th Amendment that states must
issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples and recognize same-sex unions that have
been legally performed in other states. I think this is a milestone. Before it was passed,
gay or lesbian couples were experiencing troubles. Some of them couldnt get married
after being together as a couple for so long. Some of them who were married in one state

couldnt have their marriage recognized in another state. Some of them were having
issues with adopting children. So by passing the same sex marriage can really help them
to have the same rights as other people.
I think to achieve a goal where people dont see LGBT as minority or people
dont oppose it anymore, there is still a lot to do, especially to deal with religious beliefs.
In the article Where Christian Churches, Other Religions Stand on Gay Marriage,
Masci and Lipka says: Many of the largest U.S. religious institutions have remained
firmly against allowing same-sex marriage, including the Roman Catholic Church,
the Orthodox Jewish movement and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, as
well as the Southern Baptist Convention and other evangelical Protestant denominations.
The nations largest historically black church, the National Baptist Convention, and its
biggest Pentecostal denomination, the Assemblies of God, also prohibit their clergy from
marrying same-sex couples. In the article Homosexuality, Marriage, and Sexual Identity,
it says: In effect, they (LGBT and politicians) seek to set aside almost two thousand
years of Christian biblical interpretation and ethical teachings. The writer of the article
believes that a reaffirmation of biblical teachings has become urgent. In Alabama, ever
since the Supreme Court made it legal for gay couples to marry, the state has been
engaged in a series of public tantrums led by the states Supreme Courts chief justice,
Roy Moore. March 15, 2016, Alabama Senate passes a bill to abolish marriage licenses.
People think the gay marriage is a conflict to their religious beliefs and this bill could
settle the problem.
LGBT groups also face problems at workplace. Theres no federal law protecting
the rights of LGBT employees in the United States and theres no state-level protection

for sexual orientation in 29 of the 50 states. This means employees can be fired for being
LGB. Theres no state-level gender identity protection in 33 of the 50 states. Employees
can be fired for being transgender.
Theres still a lot do to for LGBT persons, but overall, I think the rights are
headed to a better place for LGBT persons. As I went through the Timeline of LGBT
History on Wikipedia, I saw more and more movements in the last 30 years. It indicates
that more people are in a support of LGBT persons. In Pew Research Center polling in
2001, Americans opposed same-sex marriage by a margin of 57% to 35%. Since then,
support for same-sex marriage has steadily grown. Based on polling in 2016, a majority
of Americans (55%) support same-sex marriage, compared with 37% who oppose it.
Many other countries in the world legally allowed same-sex marriage as well.
According to Pew Research Centers report, A growing number of governments around
the world are considering whether to grant legal recognition to same-sex marriages.
Nearly two dozens of countries currently have national laws allowing gays and lesbians
to marry, mostly in Europe and the Americas. In Mexico, some jurisdictions allow samesex couples to wed, while others do not. United States was the 21st country that legalized
same-sex marriage. According to Wikipedia, no country in Asia allows same-sex
marriage ceremonies.
Even the law allows the marriage between the same sex, problems still occur in
those countries. According to Catalysts Quick Take: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual &
Transgender Workplace Issues, in France (allows same-sex marriage), 41% of LGB
people experienced workplace discrimination or harassment because of their sexual
orientation and 20% of LGB people experienced discrimination while job hunting or at

work. In Germany (doesnt allow same-sex marriage), 46% of LGB people experienced
workplace discrimination or harassment because of their sexual orientation and 21% of
LGB people experienced discrimination while job hunting or at work. On the other hand,
more fortune 500 companies offer benefits to their LGBT employees. As of April 2013,
As of April 2013, of Fortune 500 companies, 88% have non-discrimination policies that
include sexual orientation and other Benefits include: 91% include protection for sexual
orientation, 61% include gender identity protection, 67% include domestic partner health
benefits, and 28% include transgender health-inclusive benefits. In the article The
Business Impact of LGBT-Supportive Workplace Policies, it says: the existing set of
studies demonstrates that LGBT-supportive policies and workplace climates are linked to
greater job commitment, improved workplace relationships, increased job satisfaction,
and improved health outcomes among LGBT employees.
I believe LGBT persons will have a future with equality in every aspect.
According to the recent Pew Research survey, before the legalization of same-sex
marriage, nearly three-quarters (72%) of Americans including half of those who oppose
gay marriage said they saw eventual legal recognition of same-sex marriages as
inevitable and it happened. Now more and more issues are brought up, which means
they will be settled eventually and if people still struggle, they will keep fighting for their
right.

How do the rights of homosexuals in America relate to other countries around the
world?